AN ANATOMIC STUDY FOR A VASCULARIZED BONE FLAP OF FEMUR

The anatomy of the nutrient vessels of the shaft of the human femur wa s studied in a series of 20 dissections in 10 preserved cadavers and 8 clinical stereoscopic angiograms of the femoral region in 7 adult pat ients. The number and external diameter of the nutrient artery and the distance of the nutrient vessel from the greater trochanter and the o rigin of the profunda femoris artery were measured. A single or two nu trient vessels of large caliber originated from the perforating branch es of the profunda femoris artery constantly entered at the points alo ng the linea aspera of the femur. The average distance of the nutrient artery from the point where the profunda femoris artery arose from th e femoral trunk, which means length of the vascular pedicle of a bone nap, was over 11 cm. We foresee the future use of a vascularized bone flap of the femur combined with the surrounding muscle and the lateral thigh fasciocutaneous flap based on the profunda femoris vascular sys tem.